Alaric stood and stared moodily out the window into the night. Above, the moon gleamed bright and reflected boldly off the snow-covered terrain. In the distance the loch glistened and shone like silver with nary a ripple to disturb the pristine surface.

　　’Twas a tranquil sight and yet his insides were in complete turmoil.

　　His brother’s words whispered to him, an insidious thought that once seeded had taken root and it shamed him that he gave it more thought with each passing day. Take her. Use her. Be rid of this madness.

　　But he couldn’t. Because he knew that what he felt wasn’t simple lust. What it was, he couldn’t...